Prior art electronic marker devices of the type having an inductance-capacitance tuned circuit are known wherein the tuned circuit is made with an air-core inductance provided by a flat, wire coil connected in parallel with a capacitor or with a capacitor connected to a wire coil wound on core element that has a length that is substantially longer than the diameter of the core. Optimum operation of such marker requires the coil to be positioned so the axis of the coil is vertical. This presents a problem, particularly if the marker is of the air-core type having a small diameter, since a marker of this type, which will have a generally flat, small diameter housing, is sometimes merely tossed into a trench when a utility line is being installed with its final orientation being unpredictable since the trench is filled after the marker has been put in the trench. While this problem can be minimized by careful manual placement of such a marker, one cannot be certain that those involved in placement of the markers are aware of the need for a desired orientation for the markers. A marker having a coil that is wound on a core requires the core to be positioned vertically for optimum operation. Such positioning of the marker requires manual insertion of the marker in a utility trench with such positioning being subject to disruption when the trench is filled with dirt. In the case of the marker having a coil wound on a core, a solution to the positioning problem has been sought which involves the use of a holder that is tied or strapped to the utility line. The holder has a tapered hole for receiving the marker which is oriented so the winding core is vertical when the marker is placed in the tapered hole. This solution is objectionable because of the time required for placement and the fact that the utility line or cable to which it is attached may distort the electromagnetic field the tuned circuit produces when it is being detected reducing the distance at which it can be detected.